Cultural Backlash: An Open Post

[causticus]

There were some interesting discussions on yesterday's Magic Monday post and on the past month's or so posts on the Ecosophia blog regarding the collapse of alternative spirituality in the West and a likely impending cultural backlash against decades of general rot and grubbiness that is decaying our civilization from within.

Some of us here in the US are afraid that a sudden cultural jolt in the other direction, away from leftism/progressivism, will result in any type of spirituality that doesn't fit a narrow, literalist Christian/Abrahamic format as being seen by the reaction mob as "part of the problem." Anything the people leading and directing this backlash deem to be adjacent to the aforementioned cultural rot will be lazily lumped together into one big, bad conspiracy against what they believe they are trying to save and preserve. This likely means anything occult/esoteric, overtly pagan, or too foreign will be included, with very little nuance. As we know, the moral collapse of both Neopaganism and the postmodern occult scene hasn't helped matters at all in this respect, especially in light of recent tragic events.

Anyway, I want to know what anyone else here thinks of this and anything in your own area (US or somewhere else) you have seen indicative of a new cultural direction that may or or may not involve the condemnation of the things I listed above (or anything else that comes to mind). Also, we could use this space to think up ideas on how to preserve and carry on various spiritual teachings and practices if/when an intolerant religious climate becomes reality.

This is an open post that will stay open for quite a long time.

Comments

[causticus]

Brenainn, thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts!

I actually remember that some number of MMs back (maybe about a year ago?), I was the one who asked you about your Mithraic practices, and that you provided a very informative and fascinating response. This topic interests me greatly because I have an amateur background in researching Iranic religions (at one point years back I wrote my own version of the Gathas of Zarathustra), in addition to being quite familiar with Greco-Roman traditions.

I'm glad to hear that religious people in your area have little interest in hunting down witches or crazy leftists (I certainly think they should be shunned though). One question though. When you say the benefit you enjoy from attending Roman Catholic Mass is about to disappear soon, do you mean that you will be going public about your Mithraism and this will likely involve you being no longer welcome at church? Or do you mean you will be leaving the church when you further develop your rituals?

On the "Mithraist Revivalist" but, yeah I agree that we likely won't ever be able to decode the symbolism of the old mystery religion, much less reconstruct any of the original ritualism. IMHO that would be boring and pointless anyway (Pagan Reonscturctionists really miss the boat on a lot of important things, IMO), since Mithras is indeed a living God, a religion devoted to Him could be re-constituted if He so chooses to do so, which seems like a distinct possibility from what reported on your experiences with Him.

[brenainn]

You're certainly welcome! I do remember that question a while back during one of the MMs. My daily practice remains pretty much the same, though I've done a lot more work on developing full blown initiation rituals. I agree with Manfred Clauss that there was basic initiation in addition to the seven named grades (likely the various degrees of the priesthood). My goal is to have the basic initiation plus a program of initiation/ordination into a seven-tiered priesthood. Ambitious, I suppose, but if Mithras is with me, then the victory is already won.

As far as what happens once I go public about being a Mithraist, well, we have a new and relatively young priest at my family's parish. I've already butted heads with him over my mother, who has a severe cognitive impairment now. Our two previous pastors accommodated her inability to remember the proper method of receiving communion but he's publicly admonished her in the communion line (which confused her even more, even scared her) despite being aware of her cognitive impairment. I don't really like the guy, and once I've made it known that I not only worship a "pagan god" but have been working toward becoming one of his priests, well, I can't imagine Fr. Hard Heart will continue to allow me to receive communion. The other angle, of course, is that word will spread that good old Brenainn is a worshipper of a different god. If a witch hunt/moral panic did occur, well, my name will be known to the loons leading it.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on reconstructionism. I've had similar thoughts over the last few years. The gods are living beings and are perfectly capable of communicating to us the old praxis and beliefs, if they felt it was that important. That they don't seem to do that leads me to conclude that an accurate reconstruction isn't important to them. I'm not even surprised by that. The gods seem to meet us where we are at, with our particular cultural forms and concerns.

BTW, I'd be interested in reading your version of the Gathas.